Philip J. Davis Quotes:

One of the endlessly alluring aspects of mathematics is that its thorniest paradoxes have a way of blooming into beautiful theories.

source: - Philip J. Davis, William G. Chinn (1985). “3.1416 and all that”, Birkhauser

Topics: Beautiful, Science, Way, Math Teacher, Mathematical Beauty

Most writers on the subject seem to agree that the typical working mathematician is a Platonist on weekdays and a formalist on Sundays.

Topics: Sunday, Weekdays, Statistics

In the realm of ideas, of mental objects, those ideas whose properties are reproducible are called mathematical objects, and the study of mental objects with reproducible properties is called mathematics.

source: - Philip J. Davis, Reuben Hersh, Elena Anne Marchisotto (1995). “The Mathematical Experience: Study Edition”, p.441, Springer Science & Business Media

Topics: Ideas, Statistics, Study

The numbers are a catalyst that can help turn raving madmen into polite humans.

source: - Philip J. Davis, William G. Chinn (1985). “3.1416 and all that”, Birkhauser

Topics: Numbers, Helping, Catalyst

The inner circle of pure mathematicians will respond to the book with delight.

Topics: Book, Circles, Delight

Blindness to the aesthetic element in mathematics is widespread and can account for a feeling that mathematics is dry as dust, as exciting as a telephone book... Contrariwise, appreciation of this element makes the subject live in a wonderful manner and burn as no other creation of the human mind seems to do.

source: - Philip J. Davis, Reuben Hersh, Elena Anne Marchisotto (1995). “The Mathematical Experience: Study Edition”, p.185, Springer Science & Business Media

Topics: Appreciation, Book, Dust

One began to hear it said that World War I was the chemists' war, World War II was the physicists' war, World War III (may it never come) will be the mathematicians' war.

source: - Philip J. Davis, Reuben Hersh, Elena Anne Marchisotto (1995). “The Mathematical Experience: Study Edition”, p.104, Springer Science & Business Media

Topics: War, World, May